Material handling loader with retaining rotor



Nov. 3, 1964 3,155,254

MATERIAL HANDLING LOADER WITH RETAINING ROTOR J. R. REINHART ETAL Filed Au 28 1963 mum mks Jua A. RE/Nm/er 56ERAL0Z..PE/NHART Wm United States Patent 3,155,254 7 MATERIAL HANDLING LOADER WITH RETAINING ROTOR Juel R. Reinhart and Gerald L. Reinhart, both of Rte. 2, Crookston, Minn. Filed Aug. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 305,039 6 Claims. (Cl. 214-144) t This invention relates to a loader applicable to a tractor and for carrying loads of substantial magnitude and with various unusual physical characteristics.

Although the loaders used on farm tratcors have proven to be a highly useful tool, difficulty is experienced in the use of such loaders in respect to the volume, as contrasted with weight of certain kinds of materials that can be handled with such a loader. Furthermore, it has been found ditiicult to carry more than merely a few logs or posts because of the difficulty in handling and balancing V such items on the loader bucket.

An object of our invention is to provide-a new and improved loader adapted to carry loads of increased volume or size so that materials can be handled more quickly.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a novel loader facilitating the handling of materials such as logs and posts and other odd-shaped articles which are ordinarily regarded as being difficult to handle.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel loader of simple and inexpensive construction and operation which is adapted to be useful in handling all types of materials commonly needed to be transported on a farm or ranch.

. These and other objects and advantages of our invention will more fully appear from--the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. '1 is a perspective View of the invention;

1 FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail side elevation view.

One form of the invention is. shown in the drawings and is described herein.

The loader is indicated in general by numeral and has the conventional pair of booms 11 which are secured at theiriends to the frame of the tractor T.; In the particular form shown,the rear ends of the booms 11 are secured to the rear axlehousing i2, and a cross brace 13 which is affixed to the tractor is provided for mounting the hydraulic cylinders 14, the pistons rods 15 of which are secured to the strutwork 16 of the booms 11 for raising and lowering the front ends of the booms 11.

The loader for the tractor is provided with a bucket 17 at the front end of the booms 11 and the opposite sides of the bucket are provided with pivots 18 which are-mounted for tilting in bearings 19 formed in the front ends of the booms. It should be understood that although a conventional bucket 17 is illustrated in the drawings, any other form of bucket applicable to a'loader might be used with the booms 11, such as a bucket consisting in an open rigid" framework 'adapted' for hauling logs or the like. This bucket 17 is provided with forwardly projecting teeth 20 affixed to the bottom edge of the bucket and which are particular useful in digging operations and the like. l c

The loade'r'is provided with apparatus for releasably holding thebucket 17 in the position. shown and-when facing position in orderto empty the bucket.

an upright arm 23 which is formed integrally of the hook 21 is connected bytmeansof acontrol rod 24 extending 3,155,254 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 the book 21 may be swung upwardly to release the bucket and permit tilting thereof.

It will be understood that in the conventional use of the loader, the bucket is oftentimes placed approximately at ground level and the teeth 20 are inserted into a pile of material such as manure and then gradually the booms and bucket are uplifted by the cylinders 14 until the bucket is full of the material. This is also a conventional procedure in loading the bucket 17 with logs or other types of material that can be carried thereon. It will be recognized that the loader bucket 17 together with the teeth 20 thereon will carry a few logs, but only a relatively small number of such articles can be carried at any one time.

The present invention includes a rotor 25 disposed forwardly of the open front end of the bucket 17 and spaced above the teeth 20 thereof. The rotor 25 has a central hub 26 and at opposite ends of the rotor hub 26 are mounted a pair of wheel-like assemblies 27 and 28, each of which includes a plurality of radially outwardly projecting rigid tines 29, the-outer ends of which are spaced from each other so as to define open and unobstructed spaces between the tines. The tines 29 are maintained in radial position and in predetermined relation with each other by rigid annular bars 30 spaced inwardly from the outer ends of the tines and welded to each of the tines 29. The inner ends of the tines 29 are affixed to the rotor hub as by Welding. It will further be noted that a number of cross braces 31 extend between the wheel-like tine assemblies 27 and 28 and effect a rigidifying ofthe wheel assemblies with respect to each other. The rotor is also provided with a central mounting shaft 32, which in the form shown is affixed as by welding to the hub 26, and the opposite ends of the shaft 32 are mounted in bearings 33 so as to permit rotation of the rotor 25. The bearings 33 are carried on the front ends of a mounting frame 34 having a pair of longitudinally extending arms 35 and 36 which extend rearwardly to the boom 11. The frame 34 also includes a cross bar 37 which is aflixed as by welding to the arms 35 and 36 and also has pivots 38 formed in the opposite ends thereof which project through bearing apertures 39 in the booms 11 so as to permit swinging in a vertical direction, of the frame 34 and rotor 25 with respect to the booms 11.

The rotor 25 also has a ratchet wheel 49 aflixed on one end thereof, and a pawl 41 engages the teethof the ratchet wheel and is affixed on a second cross brace 42 of the rotor mounting frame 34. The pawl 41 and ratchet 4t cooperatively permit the rotation of the rotor 25 in only one directionwherein the tines29 moves rearwardly or inwardly toward the bucket 17 in their under-passing arc of rotation, as is indicated by arrow A. Rotation in the opposite direction is prevented by the normal operation of pawl 41.

Means are provided for supporting the front end of the rotor frame 34 and preventing downward movement thereof from the position illustrated in the drawings 'so as to maintain aminimum clearance between the rotor 25 and bucket 17 and particularly when the bucket 17 is released so as to permit tilting thereof downwardly, and so as to maintain a non-interfering relation between the rotor 25 and the bucket 17 Such means include a pair of rigid I braces 43and 44 extending diagonally forwardly and up wardly from their rear ends which are affixed as by welding, tothe booms 11. The front ends of the braces 43 and 44 are secured together as by welding and supporting a ring 45 to which achain 46js attached. The lower end of chain 46 is affixed to the crossbrace 420i the rotor frame 34. and the'fra'me 34, are'permitted toswing upwardly, but downward movement of therotor beyond the position illustrated is prevented. f

It will be seen therefore that the rotor In the use and operation of the invention, the loader will be operated in the usual fashion without varying the mode of operation in any major aspect. The loader buck et 17 will be moved into a pile of material to be hauled in the usual fashion and will thereafter be uplifted as the teeth 20 paw a portion of the material loose for the bucket 17. When the bucket 17 moves inwardly to the pile, the tines 29 of rotor 25 will also engage the material in the pile and will slightly move into the material of the pile of manure or the like, and as the bucket 17 con tinues to move inwardly toward the pile, the rotor 25 will roll on the surface of the pile and upwardly therealong, As the bucket 17 is moved upwardly under influence of cylinder 14, the downwardly extending tines of the rotor 25 engage the load accumulated in the bucket 17 and these tines which project toward the bucket 17 serve to engage the load being carried and will prevent spillage of the load therefrom. As a result of the operation of rotor 25, the load carried by the bucket 17 may be materially increased in size and particularly volume.

When the tractor has subsequently transported the load of material to the place it is to be dumped, the loader is again operated in the conventional fashion and the rod 24 is merely pulled to release the hook 21 so as to allow the bucket 17 to swing downwardly for the purpose of dumping the load. The load of material carried by the bucket will merely fall downwardly and disengage itself from the tines of the rotor 25. It will be understood that the rotor 25 will be essentially completely cleaned during each dumping operation of the bucket 17 because as lllustrated in FIG. 3, the load of materials, the contour of which is indicated by the dotted lines L, is only slightly impaled by a few of the tines which serve to retain a load of increased size on the bucket.

When the load of materials is dumped from the bucket 17 in the manner described, the rotor 25 and the mounting frame 34 swing downwardly about the pivot 39 until the rotor and the frame are again supported by the chain 46. 7

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts may be changed without departing from the scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. A loader for use with a tractor in hauling material from a pile,

comprising a pair of rigid and interconnected booms having rear ends adapted for attachment to the tractor and having front ends,

a loader bucket mounted on the front ends of said booms and having an open front side,

means on said booms and attachable to the tractor for lifting the front ends of the booms,

a loader-engaging the retaining rotor disposed forwardly of said bucket and having a horizontal rotation axis extending transversely of the booms, said rotor having rigid tines projecting transversely outwardly of the rotation axis and having outer ends with open and unobstructed spaces therebetween to permit said tines to project into the material carried by the bucket.

upwardly movable means on said booms and mounting said rotor for movement upwardly and downwardly with respect to the bucket whereby to permit said rotor to engage the pile and to roll upwardly therealong as the bucket is forced into the pile,

and means connected with said wheel and permitting rotation thereof only in one direction wherein the tines revolve inwardly toward the bucket in their underpassing arc of rotation.

2. The loader of claim 1 wherein said bucket has a lower edge with forwardly projecting material-digging teeth thereon,

and said rotor being disposed above said edge and teeth in spaced relation.

3. The loader according to claim 1 wherein said' rotor includes a hub with opposite end portions spaced from each other along the rotor axis, and wherein said tines are disposed in a pair of wheel-like assemblies spaced from each other and respectively aflixed to opposite ends of said hub, said assemblies being non-rotatable with respect to each other, whereby to retain and minimize movement of materials such as posts and logs.

4. The loader according to claim 1 wherein said upwardly movable rotor-mounting means includes a pair of rigid arms having forward ends journaling said rotor thereon, said arms extending rearwardly from said rotor and having rear ends, and pivot means mounting the rear ends of said arms on the booms to permit upward and downward swinging of the arms and the rotor with respect to the bucket.

5. A loader applicable to a tractor for use in moving material from a pile,

comprising a pair of rigid and interconnected booms having rear ends adapted for attachment to the tractor and having front ends,

a loader bucket at the front ends of said booms and having an, open front side to receive the load to be carried,

pivot means mounting said bucket on the booms to permit tilting of said open front side downwardly in empyting the bucket.

means on the booms restraining tilting of the bucket and being operable to eifect tilting of the bucket.

means on said booms and attachable to the tractor for lifting the front ends of the booms,

a load-engaging and retaining rotor having a plurality of rigid tines projecting transversevly outwardly of the rotor axis, said tines having outer ends with open and unobstructed spaces therebetween to permit the tines to project into the material carried by the bucket, said rotor being disposed in front of said bucket with the rotor axis extending transversely of the boom, said rotor being spaced from the bucket a distance to maintain a non-interfering relation between the tines of the rotor and the bucket when tilted,

an elongate rotor-mounting frame having a forward end with the rotor journalled thereon and having a rearwardly extending end adjacent the booms,

pivot means mounting the rear ends of said frame on the booms to permit vertical swinging of said frame and upward and downward movement of the rotor,

supporting means on the booms and including an elongate flexible element suspending the front end of said frame and limiting downward movement of said rotor,

and means connected with the wheel and frame and permitting rotation of the rotor only in one direction wherein the tines move toward the bucket in their underpassing arc of rotation.

6 Apparatus attachable to the booms of a loader to increase the quantity of material which may be carried by the bucket of the loader,

comprising an elongate frame having a rear end adapted for pivotal connection to the booms of the loader and having an upwardly and downwardly swingable forward end,

a load-engaging and retainer rotor journalled on the front end of said frame and to be located forwardly of the loader bucket, said rotor having a plurality of rigid tines projecting outwardly in a direction transversely of the rotor axis,

and means connected with the rotor and with the frame and permitting rotation of said rotor in only one direction wherein the tines 'move'inwardly toward the bucket in their overpassing arc of rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A LOADER FOR USE WITH A TRACTOR IN HAULING MATERIAL FROM A PILE, COMPRISING A PAIR OF RIGID AND INTERCONNECTED BOOMS HAVING REAR ENDS ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE TRACTOR AND HAVING FRONT ENDS, A LOADER BUCKET MOUNTED ON THE FRONT ENDS OF SAID BOOMS AND HAVING AN OPEN FRONT SIDE, MEANS ON SAID BOOMS AND ATTACHABLE TO THE TRACTOR FOR LIFTING THE FRONT ENDS OF THE BOOMS, A LOADER-ENGAGING THE RETAINING ROTOR DISPOSED FORWARDLY OF SAID BUCKET AND HAVING A HORIZONTAL ROTATION AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE BOOMS, SAID ROTOR HAVING RIGID TINES PROJECTING TRANSVERSELY OUTWARDLY OF THE ROTATION AXIS AND HAVING OUTER ENDS WITH OPEN AND UNOBSTRUCTED SPACES THEREBETWEEN TO 